StateDeptcable1977-302575

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

Message Text

SECRET

PAGE 01 BONN 21303 241225Z
ACTION NODS-OO

INFO OCT-01 ISO-OO /001 W

010454 241227Z/10

R 241145Z DEC 77 ZFF-6
FM AMEMBASSY BONN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4283

SECRET BONN 21303

NODIS

FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY VEST FROM AMBASSADOR

E.O. 11652: XGDS-3
TAGS: PINT, IT, GW

SUBJECT: FRG VIEWS ON THE SITUATION IN ITALY
REF: A. STATE 303347, B. BONN 19828, C. BONN 19836

1 . FRG OFFICIALS WITH WHOM WE HAVE SPOKEN IN RECENT
MONTHS ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF ITALIAN
POLITICS. I HAVE NO RECENT INFORMATION, HOWEVER, ON
WHICH TO BASE A JUDGMENT AS TO WHETHER CHANCELLOR
SCHMIDT AND HIS TOP ADVISORS ALSO CONSIDER IT LIKELY
THAT THE PCI WILL ACQUIRE A GREATER ROLE IN GOVERNMENT
AS EARLY AS JANUARY (REF. A).

2. I TALKED WITH RUHFUS IN THE CHANCELLERY SHORTLY
AFTER THE SCHMIDT-ANDREOTTI MEETING IN VERONA AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE MONTH.AND GATHERED THAT IT HAD GONE
EXTREMELY WELL. THE GERMANS HAD BEEN MOST IMPRESSED
WITH ANDREOTTI'S ABILITY TO STAY AFLOAT SO LONG, GIVEN
THE HIGHLY COMPLICATED ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION
IN ITALY. (RUHFUS ALSO SAID THERE HAD BEEN AN INTEREST-
ING EXCHANGE OF VIEWS BETWEEN SCHMIDT AND ANDREOTTI
ON TERRORISM, FROM WHICH THE GERMANS GOT THE IMPRESSION

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THAT THEIR PROBLEMS WERE ALMOST MINOR COMPARED WITH
THE ITALIAN SITUATION.)

3. WHEN I DISCUSSED EUROCOMMUNISM ISSUES WITH WILLY
BRANDT ON NOVEMBER 29 (REF. B), HE TOOK A SOMEWHAT
RELAXED VIEW ABOUT THE PCI, CONTRASTING IT WITH THE
MORE MONOLITHIC-AND HENCE, IN HIS VIEW, POSSIBLY MORE

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

DANGEROUS-PCF. BRANDT ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE SPD
WILL STEP UP ITS CONTACTS WITH ITALIAN SOCIALISTS BY
SENDING A MORE ENERGETIC MAN TO THE OFFICE OF THE
FRIEDRICH EBERT FOUNDATIN IN ROME (REF. C).

4. IN RECENT DAYS, THE FRG PRESS HAS PAID GROWING
ATTENTION TO THE SITUATION IN ITALY. MAJOR THEMES HAVE
BEEN BERLINGUER'S DEMAND FOR A GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL
UNITY, A REPORTED SOFTENING OF RESISTANCE IN SOME DC
QUARTERS TO GIVING THE PCI A GREATER VOICE, AND THE
CONTINUING ECONOMIC MALAISE. A FEW COMMENTARIES, MOST
RECENTLY IN THE INDEPENDENT GENERAL ANZEIGER OF
DECEMBER 22, ARGUE THAT THE ITALIAN SITUATION HAS
DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT ADDITIONAL CREDITS ALONE
WILL NOT HELP. SOME OF THESE REPORTS PROBABLY REFLECT
OFFICIAL FRG VIEWS AND BACKGROUNDING. ACCORDINGLY,
UNLESS THE DEPARTMENT HAS SPECIAL REASONS FOR US TO
STAND DOWN, IT WOULD SEEM WORTHWHILE FOR US TO MAKE
DISCREET SOUNDINGS OF TOP-LEVEL FRG VIEWS ON THE
ITALIAN SITUATION, SPECIFICALLY ON PROSPECTS FOR THE
ANDREOTTI GOVERNMENT AND THE PCI. IT IS UNLIKELY,

HOWEVER, THAT WE COULD OBTAIN MUCH UNTIL AFTER THE
HOLIDAYS, POSSIBLY NOT UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK OF
JANUARY. PLEASE ADVISE.

5. IT IS AXIOMATIC THAT THE FRG-INDEED, ANY GOVERNMENT
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IN BONN-WOULD VIEW WITH GRAVE CONCERN A DEVELOPMENT
WHICH ENHANCED THE PCI’S ROLE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF
ITALY. SUCH A DEVELOPMENT WOULD UNDERCUT A MAJOR GOAL
OF FRG FOREIGN POLICY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS: TO
ENABLE ITALY, THROUGH A COMBINATION OF POLITICAL
SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL CREDITS, TO OVERCOME ITS OWN
PROBLEMS WHILE KEEPING THE PCI OUT OF THE CABINET IN
ROME. IN ADDITION, SCHMIDT AND THE SPD WOULD HAVE AN
EXTRA REASON FOR CONCERN. ANY EUROCOMMUNIST ADVANCE IS
LIKELY TO CAUSE A BACKLASH IN THE FRG ELECTORATE, SCAR-
ING VOTERS TOWARD THE MORE CONSERVATIVE CDU/CSU AND
AWAY FROM THE SPD-FDP. SUCH A A BACKLASH COULD BE IMPOR-
TANT IN THE FOUR STATE ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR 1978.

STOESSEL

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Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

NNN

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

Message Attributes

Automatic Decaptioning: X
Capture Date: 01 -Jan-1 994 12:00:00 am
Channel Indicators: n/a
Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Concepts: TEXT, POLITICAL STABILITY, FOREIGN POLICY POSITION, POLITICAL SITUATION, CAT-B

Control Number: n/a
Copy: SINGLE

Sent Date: 24-Dec-1977 12:00:00 am
Decaption Date: 01 -Jan-1 960 12:00:00 am

Decaption Note:

Disposition Action: RELEASED
Disposition Approved on Date:

Disposition Case Number: n/a
Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Date: 22 May 2009
Disposition Event:

Disposition History: n/a
Disposition Reason:

Disposition Remarks:

Document Number: 1977BONN21303

Document Source: CORE

Document Unique ID: 00

Drafter: n/a

Enclosure: n/a

Executive Order: X3

Errors: N/A

Expiration:

Film Number: P840084-1531
Format: TEL
From: BONN

Handling Restrictions: n/a
Image Path:

ISecure: 1

Legacy Key: Iink1977/newtext/t19771219/aaaaapcz.tel

Line Count: 109
Litigation Code IDs:

Litigation Codes:

Litigation History:

Locator: TEXT ON-LINE, ON MICROFILM

Message ID: 7d700efd-c188-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc

Office: ACTION NODS

Original Classification: SECRET

Original Handling Restrictions: n/a

Original Previous Classification: n/a

Original Previous Handling Restrictions: NODIS

Page Count: 2

Previous Channel Indicators: n/a
Previous Classification: SECRET
Previous Handling Restrictions: NODIS

Reference: 77 STATE 303347, 77 BONN 19828, 77 BONN 19836

Retention: 0

Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED
Review Content Flags:

Review Date: 29-Mar-2005 12:00:00 am
Review Event:

Review Exemptions: n/a
Review Media Identifier:

Review Release Date: n/a
Review Release Event: n/a
Review Transfer Date:

Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a
SAS ID: 132522
Secure: OPEN
Status: NATIVE

Subject: FRG VIEWS ON THE SITUATION IN ITALY
TAGS: PINT, PDEV, GE, IT
To: STATE
Type: TE

vdkvgwkey: odbc://SAS/SAS.dbo.SAS_Docs/7d700efd-c1 88-ddl 1 -92da-001 cc4696bcc
Review Markings:

Margaret P. Grafeld
Declassified/Released
US Department of State
EO Systematic Review
22 May 2009

Markings: Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 22 May 2009